MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – Our region’s main water storage system, mountain snowpack, is looking okay at this point but experts are hoping for a wet month of March.
Scott Pattee is a water supply specialist with the USDA’s Snow Survey Office in Mount Vernon.
He says the great start we had from snow storms in late December has been tempered by dry months of January and February.
“We really kind of slipped behind where we were at least the first of the year,” said Pattee. “When you hear the numbers, they don’t sound that bad. But, again, just about every day that goes by we don’t get fresh snow, we fall further behind.”
He says local river basins are hanging on with the Nooksack at 86%, the Baker River at 103% and the Skagit at 105%.
He’s keeping his fingers crossed for more precipitation in March.
“The water that’s going to affect the Bellingham area, the Nooksack there, pretty much peaks on April 1,” said Pattee. “So we still have most of this month to try to gain some snow.”
He and other experts are hoping we don’t see a repeat of last year’s dry spring and extreme heat that the Department of Ecology says caused a drought declaration that’s still in effect.
You can listen to the full interview with Pattee on our Podcast page.